This year, our iconic Sydney Harbour will welcome the first of a new six-ferry fleet. To celebrate this historic event, we launched a call to Name Your Ferry and we’ve received thousands of suggestions from people all over the world eager to be a part of history in the making.

We’re now delighted to announce the shortlist of names as selected by our honorary panel, based on the below categories.

The final names will belong to only one category and this is your opportunity to vote on your favourites. Remember, once you vote for your preferred names, you can also enter our competition to win one of 50 family passes to ride the new ferry with our honorary panel!

Stay up to date with this historic competition by following us on social media via #YourFerry

The entry into service of the first of six new government-owned ferries on Sydney Harbour in 16 years has been delayed because the Catherine Hamlin's small rudders and shallow hull make it difficult to manoeuvre in high winds.

The ferry, the first of a fleet of six such craft, was due to be pressed into service this month on the inner harbour, from Watsons Bay in the east to Cockatoo Island in the west, but sources say the retrofit work needed to bring it up to scratch means it is unlikely to be launched until March.

While it is not uncommon for new vessels to need alterations before they launch regular services, the raft of design issues found on the Catherine Hamlin is said to be significantly larger than usual.

The major problem encountered since the catamaran ferry began trials on Sydney Harbour in November has been maneuvering the vessel in high winds due to its shallow hull and small rudders, which has led to it sliding sideways on occasions.

"These problems will be rectified but ... it is just going to take time to fix," a source said.

The ferry is likely to need to be placed in a dry dock to allow its rudders to be replaced or altered to give it greater stability in the water.

The vessel, named after a pioneer in Australian medicine, is the first of six new ferries built by Tasmanian shipbuilder Incat, which is due to deliver all of them to the NSW government by the end of the year as part of an upgrade of Sydney's fleet.

Transport for NSW said it was "working with our designers and operators to make some adjustments to ensure that we maximise the performance" of the Catherine Hamlin following a number of trials since its arrival in Sydney.

"In the meantime, preparations are continuing for her entry into service, including crew training," a spokesman said.

He declined to outline what adjustments would be made to the ferry or when it would begin regular passenger services.

The changes to the Catherine Hamlin will be incorporated into the other ferries before they are completed at Incat's Hobart shipyard.

The new catamaran ferries will each carry up to 400 passengers and be run by the city's main private operator, Sydney Harbour Ferries. It recently extended a contract by another year to charter four vessels from Captain Cook Cruises operator Sealink.

The O'Farrell government awarded the Sydney Harbour Ferries consortium an $871 million contract in 2012 to operate the state's ferries for seven years.

The Catherine Hamlin and the five other 35-metre vessels to be built in Tasmania will replace some of the First Fleet ferries, which have sailed the harbour for decades.

They will be the first new vessels in the government-owned fleet since 2000 and 2001, when four SuperCats entered service.

Meanwhile, the completion of two new ferry wharves at Barangaroo, on the western edge of the central city, is running several months late.

The "ferry hub" was slated to be opened late last year but is not expected to begin handling passengers until March.

Incat declined to comment on the Catherine Hamlin or the work on the other ferries it is building for the NSW government.

With a population boom under way in suburbs along the banks of the Parramatta River, the state government is buying four new ferries to meet growing demand for services from residents wanting to travel by water to and from Sydney's central business district.

Patronage on ferries plying the Parramatta River surged by almost 18 per cent to 259,260 passengers in July from the same month a year earlier, the latest figures from Transport for NSW show. The demand for the city's second-busiest route reflects fast-growing growing populations in spots such as Olympic Park and Breakfast Point.

Under plans to modernise Sydney's ferries, the government has begun seeking expressions of interest from shipbuilders for four ferries each capable of carrying 150 passengers.

Following selection of the successful bidder, construction of the new vessels is expected to begin next year and the first is due to sail by the middle of 2019. Four of the 11 ferries that now sail between Parramatta and the CBD are chartered.

Transport for NSW said it was turning its attention to Parramatta River customers after almost completing the introduction of six new ferries for Sydney Harbour.

"This builds on the 30 extra weekly ferry services along the Parramatta River introduced in June and further service improvements later in the year," the agency said.

Independent ferry consultant Robin Sandell said the purchase of the new vessels was likely to reflect the growing demand for services and the government's desire to reduce reliance on chartered vessels.

Roads and Maritime Services is also upgrading wharves along the Parramatta River route and has completed Olympic Park, Meadowbank, Chiswick, Huntleys Point, Drummoyne and Cockatoo Island.

A $59 million wharf capable of handling eight ferries at once opened at Barangaroo in June, which the government hopes will unlock capacity constraints on the network.

The Parramatta Rivercats that had been docking at Darling Harbour Wharf 3 on King Street Wharf, about 250 metres away, now use the Barangaroo ferry wharf.

The Liberal MP for Drummoyne, John Sidoti, said catching ferries had become increasingly popular, and one in five ferry trips in Sydney was now taken on the Parramatta River.

Meanwhile, the fifth of six new catamaran ferries for Sydney Harbour has arrived from Tasmanian shipbuilder Incat. The Bungaree will undergo trials before it is certified and pressed into service.

They are the first new vessels in the government-owned fleet since 2000 and 2001, when four SuperCats entered service.

The fate of Sydney's last two Lady-class ferries has been sealed, after about four decades plying the city's harbour.

Despite a campaign by locals and a petition, the Lady Northcott made her final regular service on Tuesday from Manly to Circular Quay, before sailing under the Harbour Bridge at about 1pm to be tied up at the Balmain Shipyard.

The other Lady-class ferry, the Herron, was berthed at the shipyard a week ago, marking the end of an era for crews and passengers alike.

Transport for NSW confirmed that both Lady-class ferries had completed their "final regular services" and would now be retired, following the entry into service of five of Sydney's six new Emerald-class ferries built in Hobart.

Lavender Bay artist Peter Kingston, who is part of a group campaigning to save the ferries, said Sydney was losing the last two heritage forms of transport, which had been a major drawcard for tourists travelling to Taronga Zoo from Circular Quay.

"It is a tragedy for Sydney – the city has lost a connection with its glorious past," he said. "They were built at a time when people took a real pride in building traditional double-ended Lady-class ferries."

Mr Kingston, who has painted the Lady-class ferries for decades from his harbourside home, said locals would continue to fight for the ferries to be returned to regular runs.

"The government doesn't answer any questions that we ask them. They seem determined to get rid of the Lady-class ferries for no good reason," he said. "We are not giving up."

Sydney's Lady-class ferries were named after the wives of NSW governors, and the oldest – which have long since retired from ferry services – date to the 19th century. Some have ended up as party boats and one as a fish factory in Tasmania.

Built in Newcastle, the Lady Northcott entered service in 1975, and the Lady Herron began regular runs on the inner harbour four years later.

The Lady Northcott has been plying Sydney Harbour for 42 years.

Crews on the Northcott have been told they will begin "consolidation training" this week on Sydney's new replacement ferries.

Transport for NSW said the Lady-class ferries were retired because maintaining the two oldest vessels in the government-owned fleet was costly.

"Their daily operating costs are double that of the newer boats, while maintenance costs are around five times more than other vessels," it said.

"It is very difficult to find spare parts and last year this saw the Lady Northcott spend two months out of service while replacement components were either sourced, or custom made."

The lead transport agency will be calling for expressions of interest to run the two oldest ferries in the fleet as a "heritage operation".

The last of the six new Emerald-class ferries arrived in Sydney from Hobart on Tuesday, and crew training has begun for a new timetable next month.

The new 35-metre catamaran ferries have cost the government almost $52 million, and will be run by the city's main private operator, Sydney Harbour Ferries.

The Australian Human Rights Commission has received an application from Transport for NSW for a temporary exemption to the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (DSAPT) in relation to the Birchgrove ferry wharf in Sydney.The application is made pursuant to s 33A.1 of the DSAPT.

An exemption is sought from compliance with section 2.1 (unhindered passage) and section 2.2 (continuous accessibility) of the DSAPT for the access path connecting Louisa Road to the Birchgrove wharf shelter. Transport for NSW is seeking an exemption for five years to allow for further negotiations with Inner West Council and for consideration of alternative options for equivalent access.

Sydney has copped its share of criticism this week – for being too big, too busy, and devoid of soul – but one of its great assets is its ferries.

Services and comfort levels have improved on Sydney Ferries and non-subsidised operators have expanded the customer offering. But with this growth has come complexity.

Sydney Cove is now dangerously congested, with so many ferries terminating at Circular Quay. And there is a poor fit between the design of vessels and Sydney’s wharves, so it takes more time than it should for passengers to board and disembark, adding to the length of a journey.

Above all, the ferry system can be confusing and inconvenient for passengers. Your Opal card works on some trips but not others and there is no guarantee of a convenient bus or ferry connection.

These problems are further complicated by the fact Sydney’s waterways are so diverse – a ferry that can pass the heads on the way to Manly can’t go down the shallow waters of the Parramatta River, or navigate the narrow coves of the inner harbour.

The ferry network would be more efficient if it was broken down into modules, where services requiring similar vessels were grouped together, and all modules abided by a set or rules that allowed them to integrate with each other.

For Sydney Ferries, the most logical arrangement is to split its network into four modules – outer harbour (Manly); Watsons Bay/ Rose Bay; inner harbour and Parramatta River.

Non-subsidised operators should also comply with rules for integration. These include timetables which make it easy for passengers to transfer from one service to another, and full ticket integration. The fare structure must not penalise a passenger for transferring between ferries, or on to a bus or train, to complete a single journey.

The Bays Precinct, including the Fish Markets, Glebe Point and White Bay, is a logical candidate for a brand new module. Seamless integration with the rest of the network could be accomplished with timed transfers at Barangaroo to ferries headed for Parramatta and Circular Quay. Low emission, full electric ferry systems are now operating in Europe and could be ideal for use in the Bays Precinct.

There is a place for multiple ferry operators on Sydney Harbour, but they need to work together. Having a plan to do this should precede further ferry infrastructure projects, such as the redevelopment of Circular Quay. Without this, taxpayer money will not be well spent.

Robin Sandell is an independent ferry planning consultant.

I follow Robin on twitter @UrbanFerryist really knows and understands well Sydney Ferries.

Mr Lund will tell the Sydney Business Chamber’s Parramatta to Olympic Peninsula conference today that there also needs to be a Western Quay at Wentworth Point for fast ferry and bus transport.

“Fast ferries are an obvious transport choice for our waterside city,” he said.

But at the moment the ferry route from Parramatta to the CBD is slower than catching a train or bus, the NRMA’s New Transport Vision for the Olympic Peninsula report has found.

“While Sydney is getting the roads and public transport infrastructure it desperately needs, the NRMA believes the city’s blue highways can be delivered quickly and cheaply, while being flexible and a favourite for tourists and regular users alike,” Mr Lund said.

Today’s conference will brainstorm ways to rejuvenate the Olympic precinct, with ideas including a proposal to build the Gateway Bridge across the river to a new housing­ development at Melrose Park.

The current ferry route from Parramatta to the CBD is slower than catching a train. Picture: Supplied

One thing that would help is if they cancel anything west of Rydalmere, where it takes forever for it to get anywhere and routinely needs to be replaced with buses at low tide anyway. Then they could focus on running more (and more non-stop) services east of there.